


On the Wind of Morning

by Dancing_Adrift



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragons, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-21 17:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17047367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dancing_Adrift/pseuds/Dancing_Adrift
Summary: A dragon has seemingly made a home of the old ruined castle just outside Jared's village. But when it hasn't moved from its perch upon the highest tower in nearly a week, Jared sets out to investigate.





	On the Wind of Morning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gluedwithgold](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gluedwithgold/gifts).



> For Jen <3 We brainstormed this together long, long ago. Seemed like the perfect fit when I found out I'd be writing for you for the exchange! I hope you like it <3
> 
> Inspired by [this tweet](https://twitter.com/MicroSFF/status/910190028449607680):
> 
>  
> 
> _Nobody dared go near the tower._  
>  _A fearsome dragon sat on its top._  
>  _Until one day, a knight rode up._  
>  _"Do you need help to get down?"_  
>  _"Please."_

"Bunch'a pussies," Jared muttered as he trudged across the plains.

"Mreow," Mal protested.

"Okay, fine, sorry, not pussies… Lily-livered sissies. Too damn afraid of the unknown to put two brain cells together to solve a problem. That work for you?"

Mal purred in agreement, appeased.

Jared chuckled as he watched his fluffy companion dart ahead into the tall grass, Mal's twitching tail the only part visible as he pursued some bug or another. Then Jared’s eyes darted up to the mountain before them when a thunderous roar filled the valley.

The dragon was still there, maw open wide as it bellowed from the tower it'd been perched upon for the past five days. Jared shook his head. He didn't know what was going on, but something about the fact that the massive beast hadn't moved from that spot for nigh on a week had pushed Jared to pack his bag and set out for the crumbling castle set in the mountainside that no one had inhabited for generations.

The townsfolk had sent him on his way with varying degrees of helpfulness. Kim, the head matron of the school, had suggested a few ideas to better ease his journey, all while worrying over him like a mother hen. Tim, the man who owned the pub, had warned him of every possible danger dragons were purported to have, which - while mostly terrifying and actually life-threatening, probably - hadn't swayed Jared's resolve in the least.

Most people had just given him a wide berth as he'd set out, twittering in hushed tones about how they thought he was on a fool's errand. Surely the dragon would burn him to a crisp or eat him alive; either way, they were certain they'd never see Jared again.

Jared - while he admitted he was mostly unprepared to face the dragon and fairly clueless as to what he expected to happen - still thought they were all, "Scaredy cats, every last one of 'em."

Mal growled at that. Jared sighed.

"You know what I mean, Mal. I can't help it if cat-centric language is so predominant among insults."

Mal just glared at Jared with a look that clearly said he thought Jared ought to know better by now, and then he was off to play chase with a small, blue butterfly.

Jared turned his attention back to the dragon. The creature was awesome, in the truest sense of the word. Its green scales glittered in the sunlight and its wings, when fully outstretched, would surely span the width of the tower twice over.

Jared wondered why it hadn't yet just… flown away. There had been a few reliable reports about town in regards to the day the dragon had landed, swooping in from the north, beyond the mountain range that bordered the plains in which their town was settled. But that the dragon would perch in such a way and then not leave for _five_ days? Not even, apparently, to eat? Many of the local farmers had feared for their herds, but not once in the time since the dragon had appeared had there been any attempts by it to steal even one lone sheep from the fold.

The sun was just past its midday point in the sky. Jared expected to reach the base of the mountain well before sundown. In fact, he hoped to make his way through the castle ruins to the top of the tower by then as well, assuming the dragon didn't react unkindly to his approach and send flames down upon him like so many people fully expected it would.

Jared didn't know why, but something in his gut was telling him that the dragon would not be upset by Jared, at least not once Jared made it clear that he meant it no harm. All the tales of old were stories of how valiant men in shining armor had fought against entire squadrons of dragons, protecting their lands and people from invasion and destruction. But if this viridian newcomer had any such intentions, why hadn't it done… _anything_? Jared found it odd and unsettling, and he meant to find answers before the day was over.

 

***

 

The lock on the main entrance had long ago rusted into uselessness, though it had likely been broken well before that. The hinges showed similar signs of age but held strong as Jared pulled open the wide oak doors. Mal dashed between Jared’s legs to get inside, off in search of dungeon rats and other vermin, no doubt.

Jared stepped into the dim interior of the castle and closed the door with a horrid creaking noise behind him.

“Aaaaah-choo!” Jared tugged his shirt over his face, a mask against the particles he’d disturbed. The vast foyer was faintly lit, the ochre rays of the setting sun made solid in narrow slats as they clung to the dust motes hanging in the stale air. Jared glanced around the mostly empty room; anything of value had been made long-gone by looters, and whatever was deemed of no interest was left to rot. The possibility of overlooked treasure hardly registered to him; his prize lay beyond, above. His eyes landed on a grand staircase and he headed towards it.

The approach to the castle had passed without incident. The dragon had neither swooped down to attack them, nor had it sent its fiery breath to deter them. It had seemed to grow more distressed, however, its squawking cries growing in frequency the nearer they got.

The stone walls of the castle muffled the dragon’s shrieking now. Jared pulled a sort of torch from his sack, lighting it with the quick strike of a match from the booklet Kim had given him. He sent a mindless prayer to the gods, thankful for the teacher’s wisdom when the flame illuminated a stairwell lined with empty sconces.

Jared scaled three stories before he stepped outdoors again. The crumbling battlements let through the last rays of the dying sun and Jared hurried towards the tower upon which the dragon was perched, hoping to finish his business with the creature, to whatever end, before the total fall of darkness. Mal rejoined him, scurrying over from some secret hideaway.

"Had your fill of mice then, have you?" Jared asked as they climbed the winding staircase together. Mal just ignored him, his tail held up high and his ears perked, alert.

Jared slowed his steps as they rounded the final curve. For all he knew, this was his last moment alive, depending on how the dragon reacted to their arrival.

Mal, however, had no such reservations and scurried out onto the roof.

"Careful!" Jared hissed. Damn cat.

Jared braced himself as he ascended the final step.

It wasn't nearly enough.

No amount of warnings from paranoid old barkeeps, no measure of sage advice from kindly schoolmarms, no level of mental fortitude could have prepared Jared for the sight that awaited him utop of the tower.

He could only stop and stare, hands half lifted in a placating manner, eyes wide and chest heaving as he took in the magnificent creature before him.

Of course he had known the dragon would be huge, but he hadn't _known_ the dragon would be huge. It towered above him - twice his height at least (and Jared wasn't a small guy) - and its head alone was easily the size of one of Tim's wine casks.

The creature _screamed_ , rearing back and lifting its wings with a force that sent a strong wind rushing across the roof. Jared nearly fell down the stairs, startled as he was by the dragon's movements, but he just managed to catch himself. It was then that he realized why the dragon had remained in one place for as long as it had - Jared saw that one of its rear legs was trapped, ugly and bloody, in a large, nasty trap.

"Hey, hey, easy now. It's okay. I'm here to help you," Jared soothed, raising his hands again and speaking softly to the obviously terrified creature. It was much like when he helped Jeffrey at the stables, breaking in and training the new steeds.

"I'm gonna get you out, okay? But you need to settle down."

Jared moved forward, wondering where to start to get the dragon under control - at least horses usually had some sort of bridle to grab hold of - when he ran into a wall.

Literally.

As soon as he got within arm's reach of the creature, he hit an… invisible wall.

Well, not totally invisible. As he again tried moving forward, Jared noticed a burst of blue lightning crackle outward from his hand, running as though along a flat, vertical surface.

Jared's brows scrunched in confusion. If he couldn't reach the dragon physically, how would he be able to help?

At least the dragon seemed to be adjusting to Jared's presence, coming to the realization that he wasn't there to try killing it. It had returned to rest on all four limbs, curling its wings into its sides to take up less space. Its eyes were still a bit wide, but it was now regarding Jared carefully, warily, gradually starting to relax near him.

"How am I supposed to get you out?" Jared asked, helpless.

The dragon made a sort of whining noise and smoke curled from its nostrils. Jared wanted to pet it, some sort of contact that would reassure them both, but the lightning-wall remained stubbornly in place.

Jared hadn't much experience with magic, but he knew it when he saw it.

"What an awful use for such a wonderful thing," he mused. He supposed it might have made sense, back when men and all manner of monster warred near daily for their respective places in the world. But to have left such a trap - both physical and mystical - in place, even after abandoning a stronghold such as this keep had been, seemed cruel at best.

Jared knew the steel clamped viciously around the dragon's leg was a large reason why it had not moved since it had landed five days ago, but he suspected that the magical barrier played a part as well. He started scanning the surrounding area more closely, hoping to find the source of the magic's power so he could destroy it and thus take the first step in freeing the creature.

The dragon huffed out an impatient breath, catching Jared's attention once more. It angled its head downwards, pointing towards a side door similar to the opening at the top of the staircase Jared had come from. Behind the rotting door, there emanated a pulsing blue light.

"Well, okay then," Jared said. That seemed about as clear an indicator as any.

As he made his way across the stone-paved landing of the tower, Jared had a fleeting thought wondering why the dragon - in all the days and nights it had been trapped there - why had it not reached out and tried freeing itself? Surely the talons at the end of its awesome wings would allow it the dexterity to open a door…

Then Jared remembered the invisible wall and he felt foolish. Of course the dragon would have tried to secure its own freedom, but the magical force that surrounded it was too strong to allow it access beyond the bubble created by the blue sparks.

Jared, however, had no such restraints upon himself and was able to enter what appeared to be a small utility room with ease. Mal darted in alongside him, circling a pillar at the center. There was a large crystal floating above the column, glowing the same blue as the sparks of the barrier and pulsing like a heartbeat.

Jared took a deep breath. "Well, here goes nothing," he said.

While he didn't really want to be within touching distance of a magical crystal, he saw no other choice. When no other solutions appeared, Jared reached out and knocked the glowing crystal from its pedestal to the ground.

As the light stuttered out and the clear stone shattered, Jared felt a surge of energy in the air and then suddenly there was a great stillness, followed by a muffled thud out on the roof.

Jared whipped around and peered out the open door.

The dragon was… gone?

No, that wasn't quite right.

Jared rushed toward the naked man who was curled in on himself where the dragon had been. Or rather, somehow - more magic, Jared supposed - the man _was_ the dragon, as one of his legs was still ensnared in a way that made Jared's stomach turn, the sharp teeth of the trap piercing the man's fine skin, threatening to snap his foot right off.

"Oh, gods," Jared cursed. The man was shaking on the ground, arms wrapped protectively around himself, but he looked up when Jared spoke, pain-filled eyes the same green as the dragon's scales had been.

"Help… me…" the man rasped out. "The trap, please…!"

Jared swallowed, hard. Of course the trap had to be released and the man truly freed, but it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Okay, okay. Just… hold still." Jared grimaced. His eyes glanced over the man's pleasing form, the lightly freckled skin and perfect round bottom, skittering past miles of beauty to the grisly mess at the man's ankle. Jared steeled his stomach and scanned the ugly device, seeking out the release mechanism.

"Alright… this should do it… " he said, then pressed the lever to finally free the man from his prison.

As the trap sprang open, the man let out a scream as loud and as anguished as any the dragon had sent over the valley in the past week and then he promptly passed out.

 

***

 

Jared's arms trembled as he carried the unconscious dragon-man inside the castle, but it was probably due more to his state of disquiet and worried excitement than because of any burden the man presented. Had the man been at full health, Jared expected he would have been more weighty, but the truth of the matter was that he'd been trapped on the roof with neither food nor water for five days and it had obviously taken its toll on his body.

Before moving the man, Jared had done his best to wrap up his mangled ankle, securing it tightly in a strip of cloth ripped from the sleeve of his shirt to create a sort of tourniquet. Jared was no doctor, but he figured it made sense to at least stop the bleeding and do his best not to jostle the injury overmuch. He was thankful for the man's unawareness; he couldn't even imagine the amount of pain he must be in and the darkness would be of some relief.

Next Jared had covered the naked man in a blanket from his simple bedroll. The man was obviously in shock, his body shaking even worse than Jared's as he cradled him in his arms, descending the stairs carefully one step at a time.

"We just… need to find a place to settle for a bit. Get some rest," he mused out loud, his thoughts bouncing off the walls of the winding stone corridor. "Surely there must be somewhere… "

"Mreow!" Mal's cry echoed loudly from a chamber off the side of the stairs.

"You find something, buddy?" Jared paused on the landing and squinted into the growing darkness. He'd had to leave his torch up on the roof in order to be able to carry the dragon-man and he was regretting it now as his eyes strained to see into the room filled with the barely-there light of dusk.

It looked like fate was smiling upon him and his dragon today. Jared could just barely make out the silhouette of a four poster bed, evidently deemed either unsalvageable or immovable by looters. As he crept closer, he could see that even the mattress remained. Though it was likely unfit for use under any other circumstance, Jared was grateful for even the small amount of comfort it would offer his patient.

"I'm just going to leave you here for a moment," he told the man as he gently laid him upon the bed. Given that the dragon was still out cold, Jared received no response. He made sure the man was still wrapped snugly in his blanket and then he turned, hurrying to retrieve his torch from the roof.

When he returned to the chamber, he found that Mal had curled up at the man's side, a purring ball of white and black fur.

"Thanks for keeping an eye on him for me," Jared said with a smile. He tried not to pay too much attention to the state of the bed, setting his light in one of the torch holders and laying the rest of his bedroll out on the rotting mattress.

He had a small amount of food and water on him still. He hadn't packed very heavily, not expecting that his journey would take more than one overnight stay, if he even survived that long. And now that he was here, he not only had to worry about providing for himself, but an injured man who was also, it seemed, a dragon. Somehow.

"Well, at least you're easy," he said to Mal. "I bet you filled up on castle mice as soon as we got here, didn't you?"

Mal just yawned and settled back in to sleep.

"You're right," Jared agreed. "There's not much to be done now but rest. We can deal with food and drink on the morrow." He hoped to be back safe at home not long after that, with all the usual sustenance the village could afford him.

Jared nodded, decided, and laid down on the bed beside his dragon charge. If the man could survive this night, Jared would do everything in his power to ensure he survived - and thrived - far beyond that.

 

***

 

Jared woke to the unfiltered rays of the early morning sun piercing through his eyelids; the drapes that had once adorned the windows of the tower room had long ago decomposed and fallen into piles of rot on the bedroom floor.

He sat up on the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he reacquainted himself with his surroundings, and his bedmate. The dragon appeared to be sleeping peacefully, his chest rising and falling in a steady, unlabored rhythm. Jared was glad to see it, though he was still very worried about the condition of the man's ankle, and his dehydrated and emaciated state.

There was a moment (or five) while Jared allowed himself to watch the man slumber, if only because such a specimen - even one as currently in distress as his dragon - was rare indeed. The man was beyond stunning, touched by an otherworldly beauty in his every feature. Eyelashes that would make even the most pampered lady writhe with jealousy fell in dark fans against the man's pale, freckled cheeks. Plush lips were parted just ever so slightly as the man breathed softly in and out, and his shortly cropped hair shone golden in the full force of the morning light.

Jared sighed wistfully and then tore his gaze away, determined anew to care for the dragon as well as he was able, and to see it - him - returned to full health.

Jared scanned the room for any sign of his cat, but Mal was nowhere in sight, probably off seeking his own breakfast. Jared smirked and shook his head in fondness; he was lucky Mal was so self-sufficient - it meant he had one less being to worry about this morning.

Speaking of… Jared really didn't want to wake the man on the bed beside him - he was certain the phrase 'let sleeping dragons lie' was a saying for a reason - but he really wanted to get a more in-depth assessment of the man's injuries. He bit his lip, pondering how best to go about the task, when Mal pounced on the bed, dead mouse dangling from his mouth.

"Aaarrgh!" Jared yelled, startling backwards and knocking the headboard against the wall with a loud thump. He instantly clapped a hand over his mouth, horrified, but the potential rude awakening… thankfully had seemingly failed to rouse the dragon at all.

Jared shot a glare at Mal who had the decency to look ashamed and jump back onto the floor to play with his meal. Then Jared reached over carefully to gently shake the man's shoulder.

 

***

 

"Uh, hey man. Dragon? Can you wake up for me?"

Jensen let out a low moan as he woke, eyes fluttering open slowly.

"Hey, good morning. How are you feeling?"

Jensen stared up at the vision before him. Friendly smile, dimples, warm hazel eyes and brown hair falling in soft layers around a face that pinged a vague sense of recognition.

"Am I… am I dreaming?" he asked. The gorgeous man's grin just grew even wider and a light sparked in his eyes.

"Be kind of an awful dream," the man chuckled. Jensen just blinked. What?

"Hey, I was wondering if I could take a better look at your ankle," the man continued. "I'm no doctor, but I didn't really get a chance last night and maybe there's something more we can do for you to make it easier until we can get you to a professional."

"My ankle?" Jensen yawned and looked down towards his feet. His whole body was wrapped in a rough blanket, but he could tell he was naked underneath. He was pretty used to that - the magic that allowed him to change between his forms had never expanded to transform his clothing along with him, so he always ended up naked in his human form, at least initially.

His bedmate reached one large hand towards the edge of the blanket around Jensen's legs. The man had a beautiful form: large and muscled and clearly 100% human. His touch was gentle as he pulled the blanket away from Jensen's feet.

"What the…?" The man's eyes went wide and he looked up to stare at Jensen in disbelief.

Jensen's stomach rumbled. Fuck, he was hungry. He could probably eat three - maybe even four - sheep.

"How is that possible?" The man was still gaping, his jaw dropped. While it made a pretty picture, one that Jensen wouldn't mind exploring at some point in the future, the man's astonishment stirred an amusement in him that he was sure wouldn't be appreciated. Better to explain then.

"I'm a dragon," he said, sitting up with a shrug, tucking his perfectly healed ankles underneath him and pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders.

Jensen remembered his imprisonment, the angry crunch of bones as the trap had closed around his hind leg and then the impenetrable magic. The pain had been unbearable, and as the days and nights had stretched on, Jensen had begun to lose hope that he'd ever be free again. But then… that's where this man had appeared. He'd rescued him.

"So what, you have super fast healing powers?" The guy's voice seem to have raised half an octave. Jensen chuckled lightly.

"Yup," he answered, ducking his head and smiling shyly. This guy was cute.

Jensen's stomach growled again. Loudly.

"Gods, what am I doing?" The man startled and reached over the side of the bed, lifting up a medium-sized satchel. "You must be starving."

"I am, actually." Jensen took some proffered bread and smiled. "Thank you."

"Of course! It's the least I can do."

Jensen noticed that the man didn't take any food out of the pack for himself.

"I mean, _thank you_ ," Jensen stressed. "I was a little out of it at first - to be fair I always am when I wake up, and especially after dealing with as much stress as my body was under last night - but I do remember what happened. What you saved me from. And I am grateful. I don't know how I'll be able to repay you."

"Oh, you don't have to," the man said, and he actually blushed. Again - cute.

Jensen broke his bread in half and offered the second part back to his rescuer.

"I really do." Jensen smiled when the man took the food and started to nibble on it, darting glances at Jensen like he really wasn't sure what to think of him.

"But maybe," Jensen started as he began taking small bites of his own breakfast, "you could do one more thing for me?"

"Anything."

"Tell me your name?"

"Oh! Uh, it's Jared."

Jensen bowed his head reverently. "Thank you for saving me, Jared."

"Oh gods, of course!" Jared stuttered. "I couldn't just… I've never seen a dragon before, but it still seemed weird when you landed and then didn't move. I had to… had to come see what was going on."

"I'm very glad you did." Jensen smiled brightly at Jared. Then he sobered slightly. "Not just any man would approach a dragon the way you did, especially a trapped one. So many others would have taken the chance to destroy me. I'm sure that's why the trap exists in the first place, you know."

"Yeah," Jared said softly. But his gaze was fierce when he met Jensen's eyes. "But that's terrible. I'd never hurt you."

"I know." Jensen reached out and stroked a hand over the side of Jared's face. "You're a good man, Jared."

Jared's cheek heated under Jensen's touch and he ducked his head, but he was smiling slightly.

He looked at Jensen through his lashes. "And may I… May I know your name, dragon?" he asked, breathless.

Jensen laughed. "You may, my valiant Jared. My true name has been deemed unpronounceable by the human tongue, but I am also called Jensen."

"Jensen." Jared beamed. "It's nice to meet you."

Jared reached up to grab the hand that was still caressing his face and he moved it between them, shifting so that they were properly shaking hands. Jensen didn't interact with humans very much, but he was somewhat familiar with the gesture. He gripped Jared's hand tightly, enjoying how it engulfed his own, shook it, and then dropped his hand back to his lap.

"So," Jared said. "I'm, like, really glad your ankle is healed, because I really had no idea how I was going to move you further when it was so badly injured. Is the rest of you… are you… is everything okay now, or is there any other way I can help? I didn't expect to be away from home for too long, so I'm afraid I hardly have rations to feed me today, let alone the both of us."

"Well, I _am_ very hungry still," Jensen admitted, not that he expected Jared to be surprised. "And while I'm grateful to you for sharing your breakfast, that was nowhere near the amount of food I'll need to consume before I'll be completely well again."

"Oh." Jared frowned. "What… what can we do?"

" _We_ don't need to do anything," Jensen said, softly to show Jared that he meant no unkindness. "As soon as I am in open space again, I can transform and hunt for what I need. It will tax my reserves even further, but it is still the most efficient option."

"Oh, okay." Jared played with a fraying spot on his bedroll. "So you'll just… leave?"

Jensen's eyes widened. "Well, yes. It is what is necessary."

"Oh." Jared's voice was very small and his eyes were fixed on his hands. Jensen hummed, thoughtful.

"You know, Jared, the sooner I leave, the sooner I'd be able to return," he said. He watched Jared's reaction carefully, smiling when Jared jerked his head up to look at him, something like wonder in his eyes.

"You… you'd come back?"

Jensen shrugged. "I could. I think I might find some enjoyment in it." He smirked and gave Jared an appraising look and a wink. Jared's cheeks colored slightly, but he returned Jensen's grin.

"Well, no time like the present," Jensen declared, working to extricate himself from the blankets and climb off the bed.

"Oh, _gods_ ," he heard Jared breathe out behind him. Jensen looked over his shoulder to catch Jared staring at his bare ass. Jensen just raised an eyebrow at him, both pleased and amused.

"Is this going to be a problem?"

Jared yanked his gaze up to Jensen's face. "Oh, I'm sorry, I mean… well, no, not for me." He cleared his throat. "But, ah… aren't you cold?"

Jensen smirked. "Nope. Clothes aren't really a necessity for us. Dragons run pretty hot, even when we haven't eaten for a week. Would you like to feel?" he asked, turning and holding out a hand towards Jared.

Jared scrambled off his side of the bed. "Oh, uh, no, that's okay. I believe you. I just… Gods, you're beautiful. It… it's just… I'm sure I'll adjust," he finished, half mumbling as he gathered up the bedding and stuffed it back in his pack.

Jensen laughed. "Oh, Jared. I'm looking forward to my return very much. I think we have much to discover between us, given the chance."

"Yeah?" Jared slung the pack over his shoulders and straightened. Merciful gods, but he was tall, and broad, and pretty much perfect.

"Yes," Jensen replied, stepping his way carefully across the debris-littered floor towards the door, missing the protection offered by the tough skin of his dragon form.

"You're not so bad looking yourself, you know?" he murmured as he passed Jared and stepped into the stairwell. He smiled as he heard Jared stutter behind him as they headed down the steps.

They had descended to the next floor when they were joined by a rather large white cat with black markings.

"Time to head home, Mal," Jared said.

"Mal? This is your cat?" Jensen asked.

Jared scooped the creature up and cradled it against his chest.

"Yeah, this is Mal."

They paused for a moment so Jensen could reach over and scratch under the cat's chin.

Jared grinned fondly at the ball of fluff. "His full name is Sir Meows-A-Lot, but he doesn't stand much for the formality of his title."

Jensen chuckled. "So you're telling me that I, a dragon, was more or less rescued by a knight?"

Jared's laugh filled the corridor and made Jensen's heart skip.

"Yeah, in a way, I suppose so!"

Mal just closed his eyes and purred as Jared continued to carry him down the stairs. Given what little Jensen had witnessed of Jared's arms, Jensen couldn't fault the cat for finding such bliss being held there.

Just as they descended the final step and entered the great entrance hall, Jared reached out and grabbed Jensen by the shoulder.

"Jensen, wait."

Jensen turned to face him, smirking in amusement when Jared's cheeks flushed as he tried to avoid looking at his naked body.

"Er, I was just thinking," Jared said. "It's not exactly common knowledge that dragons can change form, become like men. And the castle is fairly visible from the village. Would you perhaps… would you rather we find a different, more secluded space for you to change?"

Jensen tilted his head and considered.

"You know… That's a really good point," he said. "But… I don't think I care. I think it's high time humans got used to the idea that most dragons aren't interested in burning or eating them. We're people, same as anyone else. Just… different."

"Wow." Jared nodded, dropping Mal to the floor and reaching for the door handle. "Well, alright. Let's get outside then."

"Besides," Jensen carried on as he followed Jared through the massive doorway, "since I'll be coming back anyway, it's an idea they're going to need to get used to."

"Sounds good to me," Jared answered, turning to bestow a smile upon Jensen that challenged the morning sun with its brightness.

"Oh yeah, I'll definitely be back," Jensen vowed. Then he stepped right up to Jared, cupping one hand around the back of his head, and pulled him down into a fervent kiss.

 

***

 

Jared's brain went blank the moment Jensen's lips touched his. He naturally closed his eyes and leaned forward, pressing into the kiss, but it took Jensen's mouth moving against his, tongue seeking entrance, before Jared was really able to reciprocate.

His hands gravitated to Jensen's waist, dragging their bodies together as Jensen licked into his mouth. The feel of Jensen's smooth skin beneath his palms had him groaning in pleasure. He gripped Jensen tighter to keep his hands from wandering further down; as much as he wanted to feel Jensen's ass in his hands, he barely knew the man. Jared wanted to show Jensen the respect he deserved, even as the dragon squirmed and rutted against him as the kiss continued.

They broke apart a few moments later, both gasping for breath. Jensen's freckled cheeks were gorgeously flushed and his green eyes were shining. Jared's gaze darted down to his mouth, lips reddened and plump and so delicious that he swooped down to nibble at them a little bit more.

"Fuck, Jensen. You're so gorgeous, you drive me crazy."

Jared leaned back, eyes roving over Jensen's face again. There was a mischievous sparkle behind the heat in his eyes, and Jared only had a second to wonder what it might mean before Jensen was stepping back and putting distance between them.

"I promise, Jared." Jensen pointed at him, his look intense and serious. "I'll be back. _Very_ soon."

"Hurry, okay?" Jared's breathing was shallow and his heart rate heightened, his voice earnest and pleading.

"I will," Jensen assured him, smiling brilliantly and then turning away from the mountain. He started running through the open field. Jared watched as his skin shimmered, expanding and changing shape and color until, as though it had never been anything other, the body of a great green dragon was racing away from him, wings spread wide against the blue sky.

Jared stood there, transfixed and in awe as the dragon lifted into the air and flew one circle over the plains, letting loose a mighty cry before flying away from the village and over the mountains from whence it had come.

Jared raised one arm in farewell, remaining still in the tall grass until the dragon wasn't even a speck on the horizon anymore. Then he looked down to find Mal watching alongside him.

"We'll see him again, won't we Mal."

Mal gazed up at Jared serenely, saying nothing, but Jared knew he agreed with him.

"Okay, good. Now what say we get ourselves back home and treat ourselves to some beef roast stew and some of Tim's finest ales like the big damn heroes we are?"

"Mrerp!" Mal chirped, agreeing heartily as he dashed off towards the village.

Jared spared one last look at the mountains where his dragon had disappeared.

"See you soon, Jensen."

And as Jared turned toward home - and proper food and drink and rest - he couldn't help but feel that his journey wasn't coming to an end - it was just getting started.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the following quote:
> 
> "I do not care what comes after; I have seen the dragons on the wind of morning."  
> ― Ursula K. Le Guin, _The Farthest Shore_
> 
> Kudos and comments are love! Merry Christmas to all, and happy new year!


End file.
